Getting found on the Internet is an obvious goal. And using local SEO strategies is key. But getting visitors to hang around once they find you is priceless.
You may have heard statistics about how long the average visitor hovers on a website before deciding to hang around, or move on. While the numbers are impossible to pin down, we do know that people are impatient and have short attention spans.
In fact, according to a post by Hostingfacts.com,
The average human attention span has declined from 12 seconds in the year 2000 to 8 seconds now. This is much shorter than the attention span of a goldfish (at 9 seconds). This was revealed by a recent study by Microsoft Corp. that surveyed 2,000 people and monitored brain activity of 112 others using electroencephalograms (EEGs).
So, if we consider that as our benchmark, then the first and foremost goal of any homepage is to engage and entice visitors to stay around for more than 8 seconds. Google has noted that an average "time on page" of three seconds or more is considered good.
The Burden of Website Design and User Experience (UX)
Website design, particularly the prime real estate of the homepage, is crucially important to the success of a company's website. According to Barry Feldman,
You have to make tough choices regarding the content you'll develop for your homepage, the order the elements will appear, how they factor into your plan for delivering visitors the user experience they seek, and how they support your objectives.
There's not much value to all your great local SEO efforts if your hard won visitors decide to move on because of the poor design of your homepage.
Feldman also notes that,
Planning, creating, and publishing website homepage content is no walk in the park. In fact, it presents the most difficult—and important—decisions a digital marketer must make.
Everyone seems to want to know the exact formula for getting it right. But no such formula exists. So the process of getting homepage content published often paralyzes marketers big and small, experienced and novice.
So, what constitutes a well-designed homepage?
Well, fortunately for us, Mr. Feldman has created a 20-point checklist of sorts in the form of this awesome infographic. Or, as he puts it himself: "By “checklist,” I mean “possibilities. This is a hefty list of homepage ideas. If you elect to include all 20 ideas on your homepage, you’ve probably overdone it."
Taking the Next Steps To Homepage Perfection
Think about what action you want the user to take when they land on your homepage and create a prominent “call to action” button, or CTA. The call to action (CTA) on your homepage is an important element to draw visitors further into your site.
However, it’s also important not to overload your hompage, with CTAs. It's best to pick one or two and put your effort into those. If you have too many, you’ll create too much visual distraction for users and that can lead to a confusing user experience.
Getting Help With Your Homepage - And Local SEO Strategy
If you are considering getting help with your company's marketing efforts, it is helpful to have the insights of a third-party, a marketing professional, to assess and assist with your strategy. BroadVision Marketing offers helpful information on how to create local SEO strategy.
You can get free advice during your Free Complimentary Inbound Marketing Session which will help you learn more about local SEO and its place in Inbound Marketing. You can also call BroadVision Marketing at 707-799-1238.Still not sure if Inbound Marketing can work for you? Click on the button below and learn more about our SEO services.
